The nuclear waste repository in Finland designed to outlast modern civilisationTue, 03 Nov 2026 16:00:00 +0000 The first engineered structure built to last for 100,000 years is about to begin operations. The hope is that Onkalo, deep below ground in Finland, will offer a safe place for the country to store nuclear waste | |
Vibrating mattress helps clear Alzheimer’s protein from the brainTue, 03 Nov 2026 10:00:00 +0000 Lying on a vibrating mattress for 40 minutes, combined with taking two pills that release nitric oxide into the body, enhanced the clearance of an Alzheimer's-related protein via the brain's waste-disposal system | |
Boiling frog syndrome is often called a myth – but is it?Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 There is a popular metaphor that says frogs will boil to death if their environment warms so slowly they don’t notice. Scientifically, it is considered a myth, but columnist James Woodford finds evidence to the contrary in his own backyard | |
Inca children were drugged before being sacrificedTue, 03 Nov 2026 00:01:00 +0000 Analysis of the hair and fingernails of eight mummified Inca children reveals that they were given cocaine and alcohol prior to being sacrificed high on Andean mountain peaks | |
Dinosaur red blood cells recovered from 115-million-year-old fossilMon, 02 Nov 2026 20:00:00 +0000 A bit of leg bone from an Aratasaurus dinosaur fossil collected in Brazil has preserved abundant 3D red blood cells in stunning detail | |
Zapping part of the brain makes you think harder – at a costMon, 02 Nov 2026 20:00:00 +0000 Stimulating a part of the brain linked to mental effort boosts performance in demanding tasks, but also leads to greater mental fatigue afterwards | |
We are finally pinning down what makes dyslexic brains differentMon, 02 Nov 2026 16:00:00 +0000 Humans never evolved to read and write, and around 10 per cent of us are dyslexic. Now, we are uncovering the pathways underlying the condition, opening up new ways to support people who struggle to read | |
COP31: Will this year’s climate summit be the most underwhelming ever?Mon, 02 Nov 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Despite coming after a year of dangerous weather and signs that global warming is accelerating, COP31 is unlikely to deliver dramatic progress on climate action | |
Curiosity may be what drives our brains to become so complexMon, 02 Nov 2026 11:33:43 +0000 We often think that our ability to be curious stems from our complex, human brain – but what if curiosity shapes that complexity? | |
The best new popular-science books of November 2026Mon, 02 Nov 2026 11:00:00 +0000 From a “modern bestiary” by Richard Dawkins to a book co-authored by Robert Macfarlane and an Ecuadorian cloud forest, there are plenty of exciting new popular-science books out this month, says Liz Else | |